Biology

Physiology

Zapdos has the form of a large bird with black and yellow plumage. Its spiky feathers make it appear to be made of lightning. Its tail feathers stick out in several directions, furthering this illusion. A large crest of feathers decorates its head, and distinctive black rings encircle its eyes. Its beak is very long and thin. While Zapdos is the smallest and lightest of the legendary birds, it is still a large Pokémon.

Gender differences

Zapdos is a genderless species.

Special abilities

Behavior

Zapdos is one of the legendary birds of Kanto. It is a poorly understood species, believed by many to be pure myth. It is always seen in conjunction with thunderstorms, leading many to believe that it gathers energy from the electricity in the atmosphere. It is also reported to cause massive crackling and snapping sounds when it flies; these are attributed to the lightning bolts it is said to shed when airborne.

Habitat

When Zapdos is sighted, which is not often, it is almost always during electrical storms. It appears to live in thunderclouds, but one is said to live in or near a power plant in Kanto. It may be attracted by the electricity the plant produces.

In the anime

Major appearances

Other

The Electric Pokémon made its anime debut appearance in As Clear As Crystal. When Team Rocket made an attempt to steal a crystal that gave a lake the ability to heal Electric-type Pokémon, they were side-tracked when Zapdos showed up and they changed their objective to capture Zapdos instead.

In the manga

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

Having captured this legendary bird in the abandoned Power Plant as in the games, Lt. Surge appears with Zapdos in his team during the events of Volume 3, using it as a never-ending power source for his Electric types, allowing them to continually shock Red at full force, a strategy that turns against him when Red uses Saur's Razor Leaf to cut the supply cords and his insulating underwear with them. After having been merged with Articuno and Moltres into an undiscovered Pokémon, the three Pallet Town Trainers are able to defeat the combined monster, so it leaves his team, and Team Rocket afterwards to go back to the wild.

Green later captures Zapdos before the Gold, Silver, & Crystal chapter and uses it against Will and Karen, having caught it and its legendary bird companions on her personal training journey to overcome her fear of birds. During this battle, it is lent to Blue when things get rough. Once returned, it is put back in its Poké Ball and isn't seen again, meaning it has either been deposited into her box or released.

In the TCG

Other appearances

When released from a Poké Ball, Zapdos uses a powerful ThunderShock that hits opponents several times to produce a substantial amount of damage.

Trophy information

Zapdos flaps its wings, and summer storms appear, throwing lightning every which way. It's said that you can hear this legendary Pokémon coming, as its wings make a very distinctive popping sound as it flies. In addition to electrical moves like the dreaded Thunder, it also wields a vicious move called Drill Peck.

Game data

NPC appearances

Zapdos is the first legendary Pokémon encountered in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon. After it kidnaps Shiftry, the player must fight it at the top of Mt. Thunder. It is possible to recruit Zapdos by returning for another fight after the credits.

Trivia

Of all legendary Pokémon with fixed in-game locations, Zapdos can be obtained with the fewest number of Badges: 3. In the Generation I games and their remakes, one can catch Zapdos with only the Boulder Badge, Cascade Badge, and Soul Badge, although it is far too strong for most Trainers at that stage, at level 50.

Origin

Zapdos is based on the Native American legend of the thunderbird. The thunderbird was known for being the spirit of thunder, lightning, and rain in the form of a giant bird. The beating of the wings was said to create thunder. It may also have been based on the Lightning Bird, a bird created from wherever lightning hits the earth. It may also have been based on the Impundulu, a bird of witchcraft said to summon thunder and lightning with its wings and talons.